Certain areas of London dominate the headlines when it comes to new openings, fine dining and old favourites (Mayfair and Marylebone, Soho and Shoreditch, Chinatown and Clapham, I’m looking at you). But if you’re a West or South-West Londoner, or visiting those areas, you needn’t look too far beyond the restaurants in Hammersmith and Fulham for your next meal. You can find everything from first-class pub fare to Michelin stars, with a sprinkling of international eateries to boot.

Josephine

For fine old-school French fare in Fulham it doesn’t get much better than Josephine. Opened in March 2024 by lauded chef Claude Bosi and his wife Lucy, the restaurant takes its named for Claude’s grandmother and offers a menu of refined bistro classics inspired by his childhood in Lyon. Designed to be a dependable neighbourhood eatery, pop in for the daily changing plat du jour (our pick is the Toulouse sausage and mash) or set aside an evening for the full experience. We’ll have the Saint-Félicien cheese soufflé, confit duck with olive sauce, and pink praline tart, s’il vous plait.

315 Fulham Rd, SW10 9QH, josephinebouchon.com

Faber

Opened in 2023 as the first bricks-and-mortar location of Matt Ward and Anthony Pender’s lockdown seafood delivery start-up, the menu at Faber stays true to its roots with seriously good seafood. Ollie Bass, formerly of Quo Vadis and Sessions Arts Club, is the man behind the menus, with highlights including grilled cod cheek skewer, butterflied mackerel with parsley and anchovy, and breaded gurnard with apple ketchup. They take provenance seriously here so the menu changes based on the catch of the day and each dish comes with details on where the main ingredient was sourced. Ideal if you’re the kind of diner who likes to discover something new with every visit.

206 Hammersmith Rd, W6 7DH, faberrestaurants.co.uk

Cellar at Kindred

Set inside private members’ club Kindred, Cellar is an all-day eatery serving seasonal, ingredient-led dishes that celebrate head chef Andrew Clarke’s passion for produce and flavour. Whether you pop in for brunch, lunch or a laid-back dinner, expect everything from marinara pizza and Korean-spiced beef tartare with straw chips to miso-glazed butternut squash salad, and the venue’s double-patty Kindred burger. Drinks are just as flavourful, with a great selection of craft beers, fine wines and locally-inspired cocktails to choose from.

Kindred, Bradmore House, Queen Caroline Street, W6 9BW, wearekindred.com

The Harwood Arms

For fuss-free fine dining in the comforting, wood-panelled embrace of a good old British public house, look no further than The Harwood Arms, rightly proud of being the only Michelin-starred pub in London (plus it has its own rooftop vegetable garden). Head chef Josh Cutress delighted diners at The Square and The Ledbury; here he has turned his attention to game, with a menu that features everything from rabbit shoulder lasagne to Berkshire fallow deer (plus veggie options for each course), and as much wild food as possible.

Walham Grove, London, SW6 1QP, harwoodarms.com

The River Café

If a London restaurant has managed to stay open, and successful, for 35 years, you know it’s a winner. Famed beyond Hammersmith and Fulham, The River Café overlooks the Thames, with its own riverside terrace. Its Italian food, “superlative ingredients… and servers who welcome with genuine enthusiasm”, earned it a Michelin star in 1997, which it retains. Its kitchen has trained, among others, Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall so the calibre of chefs is extremely high. Expect decent-sized portions of perfect pasta and don’t miss the famous Chocolate Nemesis dessert.

Thames Wharf, Rainville Road, London, W6 9HA, rivercafe.co.uk

Sam’s Riverside

Befitting its waterside location beside Hammersmith Bridge, the Sam’s Riverside menu features oysters hailing from Northern Ireland, Jersey or the west coast of Scotland, plus modern British and Mediterranean dishes, with meat and fish taking centre stage. Sam Harrison knows his crowd; he ran Sam's Brasserie in Chiswick and Harrison's in Balham for a decade, until 2015. Stop by Sam’s Larder before you leave for everything from cheeses from Neal’s Yard, biscuits from Hedone Bakery, bottles from the restaurant wine list and freezer pies.

1 Crisp Walk, W6 9DN, samsriverside.co.uk

Endo at The Rotunda

If you’re a gastronome who hugely missed 20-course, fine dining outings during the various lockdowns, Endo should be your next port of call. Chef Endo Kazutoshi, a third-generation sushi master, will lead you through a dining experience known as Omakase (£195 at lunch, £250 at dinner), which means ‘I leave it up to you’ in Japanese. As important as the food is to this experience – seasonal, artistic and inventive – the service, inspired by ‘Omotenashi’, the art of hospitality rooted in empathy towards one’s guest, and the surroundings complete the package. From the top floor of the former Television Centre in White City, gaze across West London from within the light, bright minimalist space, complete with a 200-year-old Hinoki wood counter and a cloud light feature.

8^th Floor, The Helios, Television Centre, 101 Wood Lane, W12 7FR, endoatrotunda.com

Kricket

First Brixton, then Soho and now W12, its largest restaurant so far, complete with open kitchen and a tropical terrace; Kricket is on a roll. If a menu packed with the likes of parathas, pakoras, bhel puri, curries and tandoori poussin whets your appetite, this modern Indian favourite is the one for you. Don’t miss its regular guest chef collaborations and seasonal events which see executive chef Will Bowlby devise special themed menus to mark occasions such as Valentine's Day, National Vegetarian Week and Holi festival.

2 Television Centre, 101 Wood Lane, W12 7FR, kricket.co.uk

The Gate

This is a restaurant that had been there, done that, and bought the plant-based T-shirt a good couple of decades before the rest of the world caught on. Founded in 1989, the team has a remarkable 35 years of experience creating delectable veggie and vegan dishes; we can say with authority that many carnivores may walk out thinking this way of life could actually work for them (or at least pledging to commit to Meat Free Monday). Veggies are given star treatment: miso-glazed, smoked, chipotle marinated to perfection – a side of chunky herb polenta chips is a must. Plus there's an extensive list of vegan wines (non-vegan wines are filtered through animal-derived fining agents to remove protein, yeast, cloudiness etc). We'll definitely raise a glass of vegan Merlot Grenache to that.

51 Queen Caroline Street, W6 9QL, thegaterestaurants.com

Read more: The best restaurants in Knightsbridge